We have a couple spots like this in Texas, Enchanted Rock being the most well-known. I haven't been in more than a decade, a spectacular place! I had forgotten about Micranthes and had to recall (look-up on inat haha) which species we did have here, only one, M. texana, which occurs around Inks Lake in similar habitats as an isolated population and then mostly in a handful of hillside slopes in deep east Texas.
This is incredible! I hadn't even finished reading the essay before I set a calendar reminder for early next year to plan an April trip to Arabia Mountain. I absolutely adore tiny flowering plants that are surviving in rocky conditions.
Hooray! One nice thing is that the bloom times on these flowers span several weeks, so it's not the usual spring ephemeral rush where if you miss a weekend, you might miss some flowers altogether. I am working on an Atlanta-area/Georgia day hike guide that I'm going to post on here, somewhere - definitely before next April.
Thank you for sharing my post! I may have found another pool sprite spot this past weekend (possibly a future post topic, at minimum a Note, because I also saw and photographed my first juniper hairstreak butterfly.) If you are in the area during pool sprite season, I will show you where it is!
We have a couple spots like this in Texas, Enchanted Rock being the most well-known. I haven't been in more than a decade, a spectacular place! I had forgotten about Micranthes and had to recall (look-up on inat haha) which species we did have here, only one, M. texana, which occurs around Inks Lake in similar habitats as an isolated population and then mostly in a handful of hillside slopes in deep east Texas.
I looked up Enchanted Rock, and wow! Pink granite! I would love to see that someday.
This is incredible! I hadn't even finished reading the essay before I set a calendar reminder for early next year to plan an April trip to Arabia Mountain. I absolutely adore tiny flowering plants that are surviving in rocky conditions.
Hooray! One nice thing is that the bloom times on these flowers span several weeks, so it's not the usual spring ephemeral rush where if you miss a weekend, you might miss some flowers altogether. I am working on an Atlanta-area/Georgia day hike guide that I'm going to post on here, somewhere - definitely before next April.
Wow, that lichen grasshopper has some great camouflage going! Wonderful pictures and description of a beautiful but subtle landscape.
Thank you! There is a lot of variation in the grasshoppers, too - some look more like blue-ish lichen, some are more gray-pink - it's so cool.
Otherworldly splendor, indeed. Those thread-thin stems. So elegant.
I was mesmerized by this post & also filled with a deep desire to see pool sprite. Thank you, thank you.
Thank you for sharing my post! I may have found another pool sprite spot this past weekend (possibly a future post topic, at minimum a Note, because I also saw and photographed my first juniper hairstreak butterfly.) If you are in the area during pool sprite season, I will show you where it is!